Smile, Spencer Reid
by Muse2488
Summary: Nightmares are plauging a certain young genius and he just can't seem to shake them. Luckily, SSA Derek Morgan is there to help him see the light; with a little help from a technical analyst.


**A/N: Alright, so this popped into my head and I just couldn't get it out. I'm still working on Something To Prove so be on the look-out for a new chapter in that, and if you're not reading it we then…er…you should! Yeah! Ahem. Sorry about that. Anyways, I wrote this rather quickly so forgive any grammatical/mechanical mistakes. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spencer Reid. Or any other characters in Criminal Minds. I think I may ask Santa for them though. **

Dr. Spencer Reid made his way into the bullpen earlier than normal. He didn't have a really good night of sleep. His leg was bothering him slightly and he just couldn't get comfortable. It'd been well over three months since he'd been shot but it still gave him problems. He was also having nightmares again. They came and went like always, but last nights had been particularly awful and had left him screaming in terror until he woke up mid-scream. He remembered once that Rossi had spoken of a sleeping aid he used whenever he personally couldn't sleep, but that wasn't an option for Reid. Drugs and Spencer Reid did not mix. Reid made his way to the small kitchen after setting his stuff on his desk, and poured himself a cup of coffee. He added about two cups of sugar to his coffee and made his way back to his desk. He winced as he sat down, a sting shooting through his injured leg. He knew he should take it easy but sometimes that wasn't an option with his job. The B.A.U. required a lot of physical activity. As he got settled, Reid started going through the huge pile of files on his desk. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice anyone had come in.

Derek Morgan had just entered the bullpen and saw Reid completely engrossed in his work, not even noticing his arrival. Derek quietly put his bag down near the entrance and crept his way slowly behind Reid. With a stealth he had learned over the many years as a cop and an agent of the F.B.I. he crept closer and closer to Reid until he was standing directly behind the younger agent. Derek leaned close to Reid's ear and finally spoke.

"Whatcha workin' on kid?" Derek asked loudly. Reid shrieked and jumped about a mile high in the air.

"Morgan! Don't do that!" Reid shouted as he placed a hand over his too fast beating heart. Derek was laughing too hard to respond. Spencer scowled at him as he tried to fix the papers that he had thrown in his moment of terror.

"I-I'm sorry Reid…th-that was just too good." Morgan managed over his laughter.

"You practically gave me a heart attack!" Reid protested.

"You're too young for a heart attack Reid." Derek said with a grin.

"Untrue, there are approximately 40,000 heart attacks that happen each year to people under the age of 44." Reid said. Morgan rolled his eyes. He should've known he would've gotten some kind of statistic in response to his comment.

"Still doesn't change the fact that your response was hilarious." Morgan commented. Spencer just scowled at him and turned back to his files.

"What are you doing here so early?" Derek asked suddenly.

Reid shrugged, "Just felt like it."

Morgan furrowed his brow at the answer, knowing full well the younger agent was lying to him. Reid may be the smartest out of everyone on the team, but the kid was a terrible liar.

"Trouble sleeping?" Morgan asked, knowing full well what was plaguing Reid.

Reid said nothing, just shrugged again.

"You know you can talk to me kid." Derek insisted.

Reid only nodded in response. Morgan sighed then grabbed the back of Reid's chair, spinning it around until Reid was facing him. Morgan had to keep himself from laughing again at the look on Reid's face. It was a mix of shock, indignation, and irritation. Hilarious.

"Was it Georgia again?" Morgan asked. Spencer was looking at his hands, his long hair falling in his face. Morgan waited a beat and finally the kid nodded.

"You'd think I'd be over it by now…b-but sometimes it's like I-I'm still in that cabin." Reid said so quietly Derek had to strain to hear him.

"Hey, what you went through…well that's not something someone can just 'get over.' Reid, you were _tortured_ and _drugged_ for two whole days. That changes a person." Morgan said.

"I just wish that the nightmares would stop already." Reid admitted, still refusing to actually look at Morgan.

"They're more than likely not kid. And I'm sorry that you had to go through all of that and that your mind makes you relive it, but you made it out alive Reid. You aren't there anymore and you never will be, and that's what you need to concentrate on; the fact that you're alive and safe. He can't hurt you anymore." Derek told Reid.

Spencer still wasn't looking directly at him and Morgan needed for the kid to understand so he put a hand on his shoulder and the back of Spencer's neck. Reid finally lifted his eyes and met Morgan's.

"You understand me pretty boy?"

"Yeah, I understand." Reid said with a small smile. Morgan grinned back and patted the younger agent's cheek.

"Good. Now we just gotta keep that smile on your face for the rest of the day." Morgan replied brightly. Reid snorted before turning away.

"Well that's an easy one." A voice said. Morgan and Reid looked up and saw Penelope Garcia walking in.

"Hey baby girl! And what's an easy one?" Derek asked as he greeted one of his favorite people on earth.

"Getting boy wonder to smile." Garcia replied with a mischievous grin. Reid looked at her with a confused expression before he finally recognized what Garcia meant.

"Garcia…don't." Reid said firmly, although it sounded more like a plea than a command.

"Now I'm interested. Continue on oh goddess of the cyber sphere." Morgan flirted. Garcia's grin grew as she winked at Morgan and then Spencer.

"Garcia, please no." Reid was looking warily at Morgan before shifting pleading eyes to Garcia.

"Genius here is extremely ticklish." Garcia revealed. Spencer sighed and hid his face in his hands.

"Reeeeaaaallly…" Derek drawled before shooting a wicked grin at Reid. "And when did you find this out baby girl?"

"That day he spent with me when he lied about being cleared for flight. He wasn't paying attention so I poked him in the side resulting in a rather girlish squeal which of course forced me to investigate further. Needless to say he paid much closer attention for the rest of the day."

"And where exactly did you find the best reaction?" Morgan asked. Reid's head snapped back up and he looked at Garcia with wide, frantic eyes.

"Garcia please, leave me some sort of dignity."

"His ribs." Garcia replied pleasantly. Spencer groaned and Derek barked a laugh before turning to Reid and smiling in the most evil of ways. Spencer gulped and stood up straighter in his chair.

"M-Morgan…just stay b-back alright?" Reid said as he put his hand up as he slowly rose from his chair. Morgan took a predatory step towards Reid.

"What's the matter pretty boy? Scared?"

"Stay back Morgan." Reid warned.

"Or what?"

"Or…or…" And then Reid booked it. Reid was much slower due to his injured leg but he knew if he could just make it to the bathroom he could lock Morgan out and wait till the rest of the team got there to help him.

Of course this was Spencer Reid's life we're talking about here though so things didn't work out in his favor.

Derek easily caught the younger agent around the waist before his fingers dug into Reid's sides. Spencer yelped and struggled against the tight hold Morgan had him in. Spencer pressed his lips together as tightly as possible, trying to keep in his laughter. This didn't work for long because the moment Morgan's fingers hit Reid's ribs the battle was lost.

"M-Morgahahahan! St-Stop! Pleehehehehehease!" Spencer begged. He could hear Garcia laughing in the background but he was immediately drawn back into his own plight the moment Morgan's fingers hit the sweet spot on the right side of his ribs, towards his back.

"MORGAN!" Reid shouted before dissolving into laughter again.

"What's going on here?" Rossi asked Garcia as he came onto the scene.

"Derek's getting wonder boy to smile." Garcia said and then laughed as Reid shrieked again.

"I can see that. May I ask why?" Rossi asked with a soft smile on his own face.

"I think Reid was having a hard time with something and I spilled the beans on the fact that he's ticklish as hell." Garcia replied brightly.

"Watch this." Rossi whispered to Garcia with a wink before walking towards the other two agents.

"Morgan!" Rossi shouted. Derek's head snapped up and his hands stopped their torment on Reid. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Rossi…thank God…" Spencer panted. Morgan stepped to the side a little bit, distancing himself from Reid for a moment.

"Uh…nothing sir…just cheering the kid up." Derek said somewhat sheepishly.

"Don't destroy the bullpen." Rossi said simply as he made his way up the stairs to his desk.

"Yes sir." Morgan replied evilly.

"What? Rossi no! Help! Hel-AH! Nononono! Morgahahahahahan!" Reid begged before succumbing to laughter once more.

Morgan eventually stopped his assault, but for the rest of the day Reid was on constant alert, just waiting for Morgan to attack again. Spencer wanted to be irritated and defensive, but in all honesty he hadn't laughed like that in years. And despite his abhorrence to being tickled…he actually enjoyed it. It was freeing to laugh uninhibited like that and he was glad that Morgan cared enough to try and make him happy. Of course it didn't make the nightmares go away, but it made them bearable. And that was enough.


End file.
